Citation
(2002), "Laser welding system", Industrial Robot, Vol. 29 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2002.04929bad.013
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
Laser welding system
Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JapanPatent number: US6,261,701Publication date: 17 July 2001Title: Laser Welding System
This invention relates to a system and method for the manufacture of an improved laser welded work piece, such as an automotive body panel. The invention also presents an improved system for manufacturing the welded work piece including an improved laser welder and a laser weld inspection device and system.
The welded work piece incorporates a minimised gap that is designed to improve the structural properties of the laser weld. The new automated manufacturing system includes a robotically automated production line configured to prepare blank work pieces for welding by precision shearing at least one edge, and to precisely align the blanks and laser weld them together using a single or dual cell, high-speed, high-power laser. During welding, the laser weld is concurrently inspected by a visual inspection device to determine whether the welded work piece should be accepted or rejected. The operator can continuously supply pallets or skids of sheet metal blanks, to the production line without stopping or interrupting the automated production line. After welding, the system uses a robot to automatically sort and re-palletise the finished welded work piece onto accepted work piece skids or onto rejected work piece skids. The operator can remove the accepted and rejected work pieces from the production line without stopping or interrupting the continuously running line.